Trailer hitch



A g. 29, 1939. s. E. ADAMS 2,170,983

TRAILER HITCH 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed April 2, 1938 I Invenfor 5 4 a o flaw/11am By 24mm A itomeys 29, 1939- s. E. ADAMS 2,170,983

' TRAILER HITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1938 ve2 l0 R\ F 0 7. R v

Inventor ,4 itbrneys Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,110,983 TRAILER. HITCH Schalto E. Adams, Flint, mien, aligns:- of onehalf to Clarence E. Duel, Flint. Mich.

Application April 2. 1938, Serial No. lea-m ZCIaims. (c1. can-salt) My invention relates to improvements in trailer hitches for use more particularly on heavy trailers such as cabin and house trailers, although, as will presently appear, it may be used to equal advantage on lighttrailers of any type.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simplified, inexpensive trailer hitch obviating completely manipulation of the trailer byhand either preparatory to or incident to hitching the same and reducing the number of hitch parts to be carried by the tow car to a single small and inconspicubus unit.

Another object isto provide a hitch of the character and for the purpose above set forth 45 which eliminates transmission of torque from the trailer to the tow car-and which is adapted to be lockedto prevent unauthorized use of the trailer.

To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred 20 embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in the succeeding description, and defined in the claims appended hereto.

In said drawings: g5 Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in top plan of the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a view in horizontal section of the coupling bar, I Figure 3 is a view in top plan of said bar,

3,; Figure 4 is a view in longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of the looking yoke,

Figure 6 is aview in horizontal section of the a coupling sleeve, and Figure 7 is a view in longitudinal section of said sleeve taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the

m hitch of my invention comprises a pair of reach bars I extending forwardly from the trailer frame, represented at 2, in converging relation and connected together-intermediate the ends thereof by a cross bar 3, the bars I and 3 forming 45 a rigid part of the trailer frame, if a two wheeled trailer, and being attached to the front axle in any suitable manner in the of a four wheeled trailer.

Extending forwardly from the cross bar I to 50 the outer 'ends of the barsl is a coupling sleeve 4 of cylindrical form having a pair of lateral rear end flanges 6 bolted to the cross bar 3, as at I, to secure the rear end of the sleeve to said bar in .the center thereof and also having a pair of front 55 end lateral flanges t bolted, as at 8, to the front communicating with said bore.

ends of the bars I and securing said ends fixed relation; The front end of the sleeve 5 is bellmouthed, as at It, fora purpose presently seen.

Mounted on any suitable part of the trailer, as for instance frame 2, is a windlass I finclud- 5 ing adrum it fast upon a crank shaft I3, the latter journalled in a pair of brackets I4 suitably securcd to the frame 2, as at I5, said shaft "having a crank part It adapted to be located preferably at one side of the trailer for con- 10 venient manipulation to rotate the drum I 2. The drum I2 is adapted to wind up a cable I! having one end suitably aflixed to said drum, as at I8, and its other end extended into the coupling sleeve 5. j Said other end of the cable" is secured in a bore I! provided in the rear end of a couplingbar 2| adapted to flt part way into the sleeve i. A stud 2i threaded into the coupling bar against the cable I! secures the latter in said bBl'."

The coupling bar 2| is adapted to be drawn into the, couplingv sleeve I by winding of the cable II, for a purpose presently explained,'and by way of the front end of said sleeve. To facilitate entrance of said bar into said sleeve, the bar is provided with a tapered rear end, as at 22 for cooperation with the bell-mouth In of the sleeve.

A lateral flange 23 adjacent the front end of the coupling bar 20 limits movement of-said bar into the sleeve I. The. front end of the coupling bar. 20 is coupled to the tow car, the rear end of'which is represented at 24, by the following means. Said rear end of the tow car has mounted, in a bracket 25 extending there-V from, a verticaJIy disposed stud 26 having a spherical head 2.1, a shank 28 threaded into saidbracket. and .a' .shoulder 2! below the head 21 limiting movement of the stud intosaid bracket.

The front end oi the couplingbar III has an m: here a therein and a key hole slot 3| extending longitudinally in one side thereof and The bore 30 at-the front end thereof by a screw 3!" locked by a set screw '33. The head is cl P s 7 :1 of the stud a is adapted to fit into the larger end of the key hole slot II and the shank 28 into the narrow part of said slot whereby'the front end ofthe coupling bar 20 may be hooked over said head, I! and slid rearwairdly thereon to locate said head in the bore against the plug 12 thereby coupling said bar 20 to the stud 2. The coupling bar 2. is latched in the described coupled position by means of the following. The

bar I! is provided in the side thereof opposite the slot II with a longitudinal slot 34 communieating with and in the rear of the bore 3.. A latch member 35 is pivoted in said slot 34, as at 36, for swinging movement into and out of said slot 34 into latching and unlatching positions respectively. The latch member 35 has a right angled abutment end 31 adapted in the. latching position of said member to be interposed between the pivot 36 and the rear end of the bore 30 behind the head 2] of stud 26 whereby rearward movement of the stud relative to the bar 20 is blocked and consequently uncoupling of the bar 20 prevented. .The member 35 has a hand grip part 38 extending out of the slot 3|, for manipulation of said member, and

15 adapted to coactwith the bell-mouth ll of the sleeve 5 in the limit of movement of the bar 20 into the sleeve 5 to thereby block unlatching movement of said member.

The coupling bar 20 is adapted to be locked in the coupling sleeve 5. For this purpose said bar 20 is provided at a. suitable intermediate point thereon with a. concave transversely extending groove 39 therein adapted, in the limit of movement of the said bar 20 in the said sleeve 5 to register with a pair of apertures ll provided in said sleeve 5 upon opposite sides of the bore thereof, said apertures 40, as will be understood, extending vertically and opening on top oi. said sleeve. A staple-like locking yoke ll is provided for insertion into the apertures 40 and groove 39 in spanning relation to the latter whereby, 'as will be clear, the coupling bar 10 is rendered immovable in the coupling sleeve 5. The coupling sleeve 5 has formed on top thereor apair of apertured eats 42 between which the yoke Cl is inserted and which are designed to accommodate a padlock 4; locking the yoke ll in position.

In the use the described invention, the coupling bar 20 is coupled to the stud 26 in the manner already described, and drawninto the coupling sleeve 5 by means of the windlass Ii to the limit of its movement therein. During the described drawing of the coupling bar into the coupling sleeve 5, the trailer is pulled up to the tow car in proper relation thereto all without manipulation of the trailer in any way whatever.

Y In the limit of movement or the coupling bar 2.

in the coupling sleeve 5 the locking yoke ll is inserted in position and locked against removal all in a manner which has been described and need not again, be referred to.

My invention will, .it is believed, be readily understood from the foregoing without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept and right is herein reserved to such modifications asfall within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a hitch for coupling a trailer to a tow car, a sleeve extending forwardly from the trailer and fixed thereto, a vertically disposed stud on the rear end of the tow car, a coupling bar endwise slidable in the 'sleeve, means on one end of the coupling bar for coupling the same to said stud, means for moving the bar endwise inwardly" of the-sleeve means to lock the coupling bar to the sleeve against endwise movement including a staple-like locking member adapted for insertion into said sleeve in straddling relation to said bar, said sleeve having sockets therein for receiving said member, and the bar being grooved to interlock with said member, a pair of lugs on the sleeve for receiving the locking member therebetween, and a lock for bridging said lugs.

2.- In a hitch for coupling a trailer to a. tow car, a sleeve extending forwardly from said trailer and fixed thereto, a vertically disposed stud on the rear end of the tow car, a coupling bar endwise slidable in the sleeve, means on one end of the coupling bar for coupling the same to said stud, means for moving the bar endwise inwardly of the sleeve comprising a windlass mounted on the trailer and having a cablepwound thereon and connected to the other end of the bar.

and means to lock the coupling bar against uncoupling from said stud including a bail onthestud, a keyhole slot in said sleeve for receiving said ball and stud, and means to-block removal of the ball from said slot operative by contact with one end of the sleeve under endwise sliding of said bar into said sleeve.

SCHALTO E. ADAMS. 

